Act to improve ties, Koizumi told
By Cao Desheng/Bao Xinyan (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-12-07 06:06

According to the report prepared by a task force sponsored by the US Council on Foreign Relations, Beijing and Washington are on opposite sides in a new struggle for influence and resources in the "playing field" of Africa.

China consistently sticks to a path of peaceful development, and will pose no threat to anybody or frustrate the interests of any country, Qin added.

"China and the US share common concerns over African affairs," he said, "and the two countries can strengthen partnership in this regard."

US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer, who recently met senior officials in Beijing, disputed the report's findings.

"I think that China has just as great a right to engage in Africa as any other country," Frazer was quoted by AFP as saying. "Why should we see ourselves in competition with any country in Africa? There is enough good to be done."

Also yesterday, China rejected the findings of a United Nations special rapporteur that prison torture is widespread in China.

"We cannot accept the conclusion," Qin said. "In passing this judgment, Manfred Nowak lacks objective evidence and sufficient facts."

China, as a UN member, has laws to prohibit torture of criminal suspects and has done "important and effective" work to discipline violators, he said.

Nowak travelled to Beijing, Lhasa and Urumqi on the first-ever visit by a UN torture rapporteur during his 12-day visit that ended last Friday.